Power Consumption Management System for Peak Load Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Business entities face high electricity bills due to peak load periods, and existing Demand Response systems often require reliance on utility companies or third-party services for power management, lacking control over peak consumption.
Innovation Solution
A power consumption management system that includes an environment station and electricity relays, which leverage existing IT resources to control power usage by determining threshold states based on current power rates and usage, allowing for decentralized or centralized management of power flow to devices, thereby reducing peak load consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If Demand Response systems are used to reduce peak load consumption, then power consumption during peak periods is reduced, but control over power management is lost to utility companies or third-party services
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables businesses to autonomously manage their own power consumption by implementing local control logic that automatically responds to real-time pricing signals. The power management system operates independently using on-premises servers and controllers that make decisions based on current power rates and consumption patterns, eliminating reliance on external utility companies or third-party services while maintaining the ability to reduce peak load consumption.
2Ease of operation
If centralized power management is implemented, then control over power flow is improved, but system complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The power management system is divided into modular components distributed throughout the facility. Individual controllers are placed at key power distribution points, each managing local loads independently. These distributed controllers communicate with an on-premises server that coordinates overall strategy, allowing centralized control objectives to be achieved through decentralized execution, thereby reducing infrastructure complexity while maintaining control effectiveness.
3Loss of energy
If real-time power rate monitoring is implemented, then power consumption costs are reduced, but data processing requirements and system resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements selective monitoring and processing of power rate data rather than analyzing all possible parameters. The control logic focuses on identifying critical threshold points in pricing structures and triggers responses only when economically significant conditions are met. This partial action approach reduces computational burden and data processing requirements while still achieving substantial cost savings by capturing the most impactful optimization opportunities.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with particular embodiments, a method for managing power consumption includes receiving from a plurality of electricity relays an indication of a current state associated with each of the plurality of electricity relays. The method also includes receiving a power rate associated with a cost of power. The method further includes determining a threshold state based on the power rate and the current state associated with each of the plurality of electricity relays. The method additionally includes transmitting one or more control requests to one or more of the plurality of electricity relays. A first control request transmitted to a first electricity relay is based on the threshold state and a first current state associated with the first electricity relay.